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Sunday, August 30, 2009

Tea Towel Tour ... (pssst!! giveaway inside!)

Whew! Another jam-packed weekend gone by waaaaaay too quickly. I hope yours was a good one! Before moving on to my crafty updates, some news: sadly, the Frogs suffered a devastating 5-0 defeat in their season opener. But since they don't keep score, I guess that doesn't matter! Still, aren't they the two cutest frogs you've ever seen?:

While Mrs. Quilt Dad was performing her Assistant Coach-y duties, the little one and I explored the soccer fields. Here's the little bugger when I tried to take his picture:

What can I say? The little guy takes after his dad!

A few posts ago, I mentioned that I was dabbling a bit in embroidery. Here's some progress that I've made on the piece I showed last time:

I've been so excited about working on this stuff that I actually went ahead and joined an embroidery swap! (For those of you who read my blog, that's really no surprise, is it?? : ) Yes, it seems that the bug has bitten. It's called the Tea Towel Tour and it's hosted over on Craftster. I first learned about this swap from my crafty pal Rita, and I was excited to hear that another round was opening up.

The premise is simple ... everyone in the swap is placed into groups of 6. A small towel (or napkin, or apron, or pillowcase, or whatever) travels from swapper to swapper, collecting a small embroidered design at each stop along the way.

Here's my piece. I started it with a small picture of an octopus, and then bound it with one of my favorite Flea Market Fancy prints. The cloth napkin is a really soft sage green and the pattern is by Andrea Zuill, who writes the awesome Badbird blog.

I've asked my fellow swappers to stick to an oceanic / underwater theme. I'm so excited to see what they come up with!

If you want to follow along with the action or check out the work from the prior tours, visit us in the Flickr group.

I'm a researcher by nature, so when I want to learn something new I tend to read as much about it as possible. I had some leftover gift card balance at Amazon, so I ordered a couple of books to give me some tips and inspiration:

Wait! What's that? It looks like I accidentally added 2 of the "Doodle Stitching" books to my cart! Rather than sending it back to Amazon, I took it as a sign that it was time for a giveaway.

So, if you are a quilter that's been itching to try your hand at embroidery (like I was) and think this great book would give you the inspiration you need to get started, leave me a comment and you'll be entered to win! Just tell me how you'd like to use your new embroidery skills, or what kind of project you think you'd like to make. I'll even throw some extra goodies in with the book.

How cool is that? I was just checking out some embroidery links and thought I'd like to give that a try. I'm impresed with your first try. It turned out pretty good. Please enter my name in the draw. BTW...congrats on the Moda Tutorial. It's another one to add to my list of things to make.

The frogs are so cute. 2 years ago I coached my 4 year olds team. What a work-out! Sometimes I would carry 2 crying girls and run with the ball. I have been wanting to try some stitches. I have a little tiny bit. The little deer is beautiful. I have been wanting to come up with a deer quilt for my 13 year old and there not alot. Might be an idea for an alternate block with plaids.Thanks for the giveaway.

Cute octopus! I was just looking at that book with my sister but we didn't buy it, yet! We took a class from Sue Spargo so now we are inspired to learn more embroidery to work into our sewing projects. I would love to take my kids drawings and embroider them on fabric to create a quilt or some kind of keepsake.

It has been fun to see the different stitching doodles you have been doing lately. Makes me want to try my hand at it. I think I would start with something small and make a little coin purse out of it. That guarantees a finished product!

oooo how I would love to win! I just love the quilts that incorporate embroidery into the blocks, so that's what I would do if I start embroidering - (it's bound to happen eventually). I think a baby quilt with embroidery would just be delightful. Thanks for the giveaway, that book looks fab!

Hi! I just found your blog and saw the giveaway! I have been embroidery some onesies for new babies in my family and the doodle book looks like it would have some great design ideas in it! Love the octopus!

I just started following your blog after I saw your pattern on Moda Bake Shop. I've always thought it would be a great idea to add embroidery to some blocks to give a quilt a new dimention. Flowers would be really pretty. You've done a great job on your first attempts.

Good luck with your tea towels,a great idea. Tell your kids not to worry about scoring a goal. I remember when our youngest was playing netball,they were the newest youngest team and never one a game. We had a party when they scored there first goal. They did go on to play well. I would love to take the extra book of your hands it looks real interesting. Have a happy day.

How great is this! I just picked up a Crabapple Hill "Tws the Night Before Christmas" embroidery pattern. I don't know what came over me but I love it! So much for a little project LOL. Great Octopus and embroidery! Please enter me into your give-a-way!Laura T

You are even worse than me about joining new swaps and starting new hobbies!! (I spent the weekend rehabbing an old telephone table - like I need a new hobby!!) I love the idea of stitch doodling - and have been inspired by the work on this blog: http://www.wardi.dk/craftyblog.html Would love to win the extra book so that I can start a new hobby!

Hi John, my you do some wonderful stuff, congrats on the moda tutorial - well done!and now venturing into the nether world of embroidery too huh. I already incorporate stitching every chance I get, I am totally lost if I don't have some stitching on the go, it goes with me absolutely everywhere, watch out!

Hello! Always great to find a new blog. I've started doing "stitchery" because the Australian quilt designer use it in their patterns. It would be great to win your book and have some fun. Thanks looking forward to reading your blog.

I've never been one for frogs but I do have to say that those green kiddies are adorable....and the tongue stickerouter too!:)

Doodle Stitching is a fantastic book. My sister-in-law gave it to my daughter and I would love my own copy. I'd love to try the lampshades....that book has so many ideas it just makes your head spin!Thanks for the giveaway and looking forward to the start of Wonky Sept!:)

I love the little elephant! I really like the embroidery used as the center of blocks in quilts. So if I won, that is what I would use the embroidery book to help me do. Thanks for the great giveaway and website.

A few weeks ago, I found a baby quilt in GOODWILL that is 12 hand embroidered patches, different animals on white. I love love love it, and got it for a steal ($2)! Ever since though, I find myself poring over hand embroidery tutorials, and have even bought a small kit from the clearance section at Joanns. Sadly, that is as far as I have gotten with it.

Oh man, what a great giveaway! After you mentioned embroidery in your last post, I've been wanting to give it a try and I have that book on my to-buy list! I want to use embroidery in some mini quilts for my apartment.

Sign me up! I've been wanting to make some fancy guest towels with some embroidery. Not that I am fancy or that I have many guests but it's something fun to have to give as gifts. Thanks for the chance!

Great job John! Your doing really well with that embroidery! And oh what a shame about that extra book! I'm just glad we're all here to help you out in taking it off your hands! hehe! That Tea Towel Tour looks really fun! Good luck!

When I was in one of the LQSs this weekend I was thinking that I'd like to do some embroidery for the centers of some wonky log cabin blocks. I haven't done any of that stuff in YEARS...would love a new book to inspire me! :)

I think I'd want to try and design a logo, symbol or secret "something" to add to each of my quilts as the finishing touch. I've never seen that book before, it looks really neat, not like the typical traditional floral stitchery!

Wow! Very generous giveaway. I've been wanting to try any form of handwork lately especially to incorporate in quilting. Looking forward to following along (although not participating) in the wonky quilt along!

nifty giveaway! i love embroidery and would like to brush up on my "skills" since it has always run in the family, but i wasn't taught... i'd use it on dresses and skirts, add some cute touches to kid's clothes and put a little into some of my quilts.

i like to embroider onto baby bibs i make as gifts but i've only actually learned the proper way once and that was 15 years ago. would be great to learn the 'right' way again and not just make it up.thanks for the giveaway!

You are doing really well with your embroidery - how inspiring! I really want to make a personalised napkin for our best friends to use when they come over our house - they always think its funny that we use both a knife and fork to eat and don't use cloth napkins (just paper towels) when we eat - the differences between growing up in England and the US! I think they would be very amused at personalised napkins! Dee x

I would LOVE to have this book! I have already started working on some Christmas gifts and I have plans to embroider some towels and pillows and other things to give this year. And being unemployed, I've been drooling over this book and others but not able to spend the money to buy them. Thanks for the giveaway! And I LOVE the elephant you're doing!

I've seen that exact book several times at my local fabric store. I keep resisting the urge to pick it up, for fear that I'll find yet another hobby! Oh, but it would be so fun to embroidery special gifts for babies and weddings..... :)

found you from Moda Bake Shop. I have done a whole bunch of different crafts, and I just LOVE quilting, I have been thinking that this is the next 'thing' I want to try out, and I would LOVE to get that book!!!

My mom and I like to do sewing projects together and on the latest one we are adding embroidery. She is going to teach me since I have never done it. She has actually been eyeing this book for a while and would be great to give to her as a thanks for teaching me!

I wish I could get my husband to read your blog. It would certainly change his mind about quilting!I have been itching to do some embroidery but I'm waiting for fall. It seems like such a good way to pass those darker, cooler nights. Toss my name in the sewing basket, please.

I have to admit that I have done some embroidery and really love it! So I'm not new to the scene but I think this book looks like fun. Your towels look great! Thanks for the chance to win.spackattak7(at)hotmail(dot)com

Your daugthers look so sweet in their soccer-uniforms :)It's a great sport! Do they play with teams of 7 or 11 players?I love your octopus! So cute! An underwater theme is a fun idea :)And.....ooooohhh...I would love to win your giveaway! I would love to embellish the clothes and the bags I make for my children with some embroidery!

I am so excited for you with the tea towel tour! Is Rita along for the ride with you? I do not have time to try it this time, but sometime in the future.... I have to keep saying, "no more swaps, no more swaps until after the baby" over and over so I don't get in over my head. Your new books look delightful!

What a great blog you have. I found you through Moda Bake Shop. I actually learned how to embroider when I was a kid, many years ago. Switched to quilting about 25 years ago, and haven't stopped yet. I do love embroidery and would like to get back to it. The books look like they'd be fun to try. Greetings from Seattle.

I have started to sew quite a bit and can't wait to finish my first quilt. I thought it would be cute to make a block quilt with a stitched design in each block! I also love the tea towel idea...so inspiring!

I've been dabbling in embroidery as well. I've got some cute little blocks I started that I'll be sending out to all the gals in one of my quilting bees. I would love to learn some new techniques! Thanks so much for such a great giveaway.

I started embroidering last year and love it. I actually found you through Amiee Ray's blog. I love all your quilting projects. I've been wanting to try but have felt way to intimidated by it. Maybe I can try making one of those cute drawstring bags. Im nervous just thinking about it. Oh my next embroidery project is making a robot shirt for my son. Im so glad I found your blog.

I have had my eye on that book! I love embroidery because it is so portlable and I can do it in the car while we go on longer car rides and it keeps me from harping at my poor husband about his driving. My kids love to do it too and the holidays are coming up so there are gifts to be made! I love the tea towel swap. I can't wait to see yours when it is done.

what a great swap idea! An embroidered round robin. I've been eyeing up that book so I suppose I should join your giveaway though in the interests of honesty I should say I'm not a complete beginner on the embroidery front but I do like that style and have never really done it, mine has been more blackwork and such.

I've gotten this book out of the library SOO many times! I've used the designs to make stuffies and designs on fabric to cover handbound books. I've been meaning to try the quilt design in there too! I would definitely incorporate it into the gifts I'll be making for everyone for Christmas. :)f

Oh, I'd love to win that book. I did a bit of embroidery when I was a little kid, but not in years. I've just been thinking lately that it would make a nice addition to some of the quilts I'm making. And I love the work on the cover of the book. Thanks for the giveaway!

Fun! I already embroider.....well, I used to, I haven't done anything in about 4 years, but I always like to refresh, check out new techniques and get fresh ideas! I would love to start embroidering all my quilt labels. This might be just the thing to get me to commit!

What a great giveaway! I love the idea of an embroidery swap. I have been meaning to take a dab at it for awhile but just haven't gotten started. I would love to make gifts especially for christmas ... lets hope I get on it soon :)

Oh my! I've been eyeing that book for months! I've been wanting to add some embroidery stitching to my quilts. I'd love to do some twirly vines/flowers in the borders. Thanks for the opportunity. Looking forward to the wonky log cabin quilt-a-long too. Thanks!

Feel free to rule me out on account of international postage, but I thought I would drop in to let you know that I discovered you recently both through searching Flickr Doll Quilts and Moda Bake Shop. I want to do a Tea Towel tour in Australia now! Keep up the good work :)

I have been DYING to embroidery. My Mother-in-law has a huge collection of antique embroidered pillow cases. I love the way they look all layered on the bed, so I would like to be able to make my very own embroidered pillow cases.Thanks for the chance to win!

Thanks to the ladies over at SewMamaSew, I've been trying out all sorts of hand sewing skills. And embroidery is by far my new favorite. I'm working on a quilt for my DD, as she is graduating to the big bed very soon, and it definitely deserves some extra cuteness.

Oh, it says "for beginners," that would be me! I would like to learn it to make cards and maybe incorporate on scrapbook pages. And maybe when I finally finish an entire quilt, I'd like to have my own little logo pic that I make with my own hand, not my machine.

Just the other day I was thinking about all of mythreads.....used to cross stitch . The doodle embroidery is something I think I could do.I'm also a quilter so could add something toquilts. Thanks for the chance to win.

Your work is beautiful. I decided to learn embroidery when I was a young girl and found many hours of pleasure in it. I was an only child and it was a wonderful way to entertain myself and create fun things at the same time. I have noticed that it seems to be making a major "comeback."

I'm tempted to look into joining a group myself. You make it look fun and it would be exciting to work with others on a project.

John, I love the fact that you added binding to your tea towels but wondered on the backside did you actually hand sew the binding down (seems like alot of work for tea towels) or did you sew it also by machine?